Electric pump



April 25} 1950 J. L/GRATZMULLER 2,505,395

- ELECTRIC PUMP Filed June 11. 1947 l8 l7 3 8 |I|G 2 s e FIG. I l6 6 7 [/1 Y 7 3 6 6 I9 .5 Q 2 l 3 2 a 4 2 20 20 ,4 g g -|4 2 INVENTOR: Jean Louis Grotzmuller ATTORN EY$ Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 11, 1947, Serial No. 754,007 In France June 14, 1946 The invention relates to electric pumps and more particularly to electro-magnetically operated fuel pumps for use with internal combustion engines of the type using a single operating electric circuit.

The main object of the invention is to realize an electric pump of simple construction in which the contacts of the electric circuit are positively closed at the end of the return stroke of the piston or of the diaphragm of the pump, remain securel'y'closed during the entire active stroke, are positively and instantly opened at the end of this active stroke and remain securely opened during the entire return stroke.

According to a characteristic feature of the invention, this object is accomplished by means of an auxiliary coil or winding, inserted in series or in parallel in the operating circuit of the main coil or winding of the pump, which exerts on the movable contact of this circuit, as soon as it closes, a powerful electro-magnetic action, the effect of which is to apply positively and strongly the active surface of this movable contact on the active surface of the fixed contact of the operating circuit and to maintain these two surfaces securely in contact during the entire active stroke of the piston or of the diaphragm of the pump.

According to another characteristic feature of the invention, the movable contact is preferably carried at the free end of a flat spring and includes a member forming the armature of the auxiliary electro-m-agnet formed by said armature and the above-mentioned auxiliary coil or winding.

According to a further feature of the invention the auxiliary armature and its elastic support are provided with registering openings traversed by a projection of the piston of the pump having therein an axial play substantially shorter than the stroke of said piston in order to flex said elastic support at either end of each stroke of the pump and thereby open and close respectively the two contacts of the operating circuit.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given as an example, in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an axial section of a pump embodying the invention, with the contacts of its operating circuit closed;

Fig. 2 is a partial axial section of said pump with its contacts open;

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereoi; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are two electrical diagrams of 3 Claims. (Cl. 318134) the operating circuit of the pump, showing the auxiliary winding or coil mounted therein in parallel and in series, respectively.

Referring first to Figs. 4 and 5 of these drawings: l indicates the positive terminal where the electric current, flowing from a suitable source (not shown), arrives, 2 the coil or winding of the main electro-magnet or solenoid of the pump, 3 the coil or winding of the auxiliary electro-magnet thereof, 4 a contact forming the fixed end of a substantially semi-circular flat spring 5 carrying the fixed contact 6 of the operating circuit of the pump 1, the movable contact thereof which is carried at the free end of a diagonal fiat spring 8 electrically connected at its fixed end to a substantially semi-circular fiat conductor 9 leading to the negative terminal I0.

In Fig. 4, the winding or coil 3 of the auxiliary electro-magnet is shown mounted in parallel, while in Fig. 5, it is shown mounted in series with the winding or coil 2 of the main electromagnet or solenoid of the pump.

Numeral II shows the fixed cylinder or cylindrical guide of the reciprocating piston [2 of the pump, which is provided at its free end with an extension or axial projection l3 of reduced diameter. The lower part of the cylinder l l is enlarged to form around the piston I 2 an annular space in which is housed the return spring M of the pump. This spring bears, at its upper end, on the shoulder thus formed of the fixed cylinder II and, at its lower end, on the head of the piston i2. This head is secured as usual in the center of the diaphragm [5 of the pump.

Numeral It indicates the armature of the auxiliary electro-magnet 3, armature l6 carrying the movable contact 1 and carried by the diagonal flat spring 8. A second diagonal curved spring I! limits elastically the upward travel of the armature l6 and of the movable contact 1. The upper axial extension E3 of the piston l2 traverses the registering openings provided in the spring 8 and the armature !6 respectively, and terminates in an enlarged head Hi, the distance between the lower face of this head and the upper face of the piston i 2 being substantially shorter than the stroke of this piston in order that this upper face of the piston meets the lower face of the armature near the end of the upward or active stroke of the pump, thereby lifting the armature I2, opening the contacts 5, I and fiexing the spring 8, while this lower face of the head l8 meets the upper face of; the spring 8 near the end of the downward orrreturn stroke of the pump, thereby restoring thespring 8 in its fiat position lowering the armature l6 and closing the contacts 6, I. This closure energizes simultaneously both the solenoid 2, l2, the core E2 of which is then immediately attracted upward against the action of the spring l4, and the electro-magnet 3, IS, the armature l6 of which is then immediately attracted. downward and tightly maintained pressed on the upper end of the cylinder H, while the movablecontact I is in turn maintained tightly pressed on the fixed contact 6 during this entire active stroke of the pump.

Numeral I9 indicates the casing of the auxiliary winding or coil 3, while numeral 20 Shows the casing of the main winding or coil 2 between the flange 21 of which and an opposedflange 22 of the carter of the pump is clamped the peripheric edge of the diaphragm l5.

Though the circuit maker and breaker of the invention has been described in this embodiment as applied to a pulsating diaphragm or autosyn it-is obvious that it could be as well applied to: pumps of the ordinary piston type.

What I claim is 1'. In: an electric pump comprising an operating ciI-cuit; a main solenoid the winding of which is mounted in. said-circuit and the-reciprocating core of which operates the fluid displacement. member 'ofthe pump; a circuit maker and breaker in said ing connection with said armature for operating said circuit maker and breaker.

2. In anelectric pump comprising an operative circuit; a main solenoid the, winding of which is mounted in said circuit and the reciprocating core of which operates the fluid displacement member of the pump; a circuit maker and breaker in said circuit; an auxiliary electro-magnet the winding of which is mounted in parallel in said circuit and the armature of which carries the movable contact of said circuit maker and breaker; the reciprocating core of the main solenoid having a sliding connection with said armature for operating said circuit maker and breaker.

3. In an electrically operated pump, a fluid displacement member, an electromagnet coil for actuating said member in one direction and spring means for actuating said member in the opposite direction, a single electric circuit for said coil, an auxiliary electromagnet coil arranged in said circuit, a flexible armature associated with said auxiliary coil, a circuit interrupter comprismg a fixed-- and a movable contact piece, said movable contact piece being carried by said flexible armature, and circuit interrupter control means provided on said fluid displacement mem ber and'acting on said flexible armature so as to move said movable contact into engagement with said fixedircontact at the end of one stroke JEAN LOUIS GRATZMULLERr REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,640,741 Wallace Aug. 30, 1927 L737,3,88 Redmond Nov. 26, 1929 1,792,920

Myers Feb. 17, 1931 

